Clock mechanism



Oct. 6, 1959 c. R. OLSEN CLOCK MECHANISM Filed Oct. 10, 1956 INVENTOR. CHARLE S R. OLSEN M2422. ATTORNEYS United States Patent Office Patented Oct. 6, 1959 CLOCK MECHANISM Charles R. Olsen, Cincinnati, Ohio Application October 10, 1356, Serial No. 615,207

3 Claims. (Cl. 58116) (Granted under Title 35, US. Code (1952), sec. 266) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

The present invention relates to improvements in clock mechanisms and particularly to a simplified time delay clock mechanism for use in fuze arming devices.

Previous clock mechanisms have been numerous and of varied designs, however, they were complex, expensive, and difficult and time consuming to manufacture. The present invention overcomes the disadvantages of prior mechanisms by providing an improved clock mechanism which requires fewer parts, is simpler to operate and involves less costly construction. The clock mechanism of the present invention employs a fixed supporting shaft, and casing enclosing and supporting an annular oscillatory escapement pallet for rotation about the shaft; wherein the casing and pallet function cooperatively as a pendulous mass for regulating the angular velocity of the parts about the shaft.

'It is an object of the present invention, therefore, to provide an improved time delay clock mechanism.

It is another object of the invention to provide a simple, inexpensive and'easily operable time delay mechanism for use in fuze arming devices.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will be readily appreciated as the same become better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the clock mechanism of the present invention taken along the line 11 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional side View taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional side view of a modified form of the invention.

The present clock mechanism, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, comprises a central stationary supporting shaft to which is rigidly fixed an escape .gear 11. Rotatably mounted on shaft 10 is a hollow substantially disc shaped casing 12; shaft 10 is journaled in plates 13 and 14 which form the end closures of casing 12. Encircling shaft 10 Within casing 12 and pivotally supported on plates 13 and 14, by apivot pin 15, is an :annular pallet 16 including a pair of escapement teeth 17, disposed on opposite sides of pivot pin 15. Escapement teeth 17 are adapted to alternately engage the teeth of escape gear 11 by pivotal or oscillatory movement of pallet 16. A torsion spring 18 encircles shaft 10, and has one end fixed to gear ,11 and the other end fixed .to plate 14 of casing 12.

In operating the device, spring 18 is wound up by imparting relative rotation to the shaft and easing. Shaft 10 is held stationary; torsion spring 18 will thereby exert a torque on casing 12 and pallet 16. Escapement teeth :17 will be alternately cammed into and out of engagement with the teeth of escapement gear 11 with a result- :ant'oscillatory movement of pallet 16 as the pallet and casing 12 rotate about shaft 10 in a direction to unwind :spring 18. As a result of the oscillatory movement of pallet 16, rotary movement of casing 12 about the shaft 16 is caused to be intermittent whereby the casing acts as a secondary mass which retards oscillatory movement of the pallet. The casing, pallet, and one-half of spring 18 function cooperatively as a pendulous mass which regulates or determines the angular velocity of the parts about the shaft.

As shown in Fig. 3, a modified arrangement of the clock mechanism may be made to be responsive to acceleration forces. In this modified arrangement, the escape gear 31 on shaft 30 is made elongated and the torsion spring is replaced by a helical slot 32 in shaft 30 which receives a key 33 fixed to casing 34. Pallet 36 is pivotally supported on casing 34 by pivot pin 35. Setback forces, during acceleration act on casing 34, and pallet 36, and a torque is exerted on these parts owing to the camming action of helical slot 32 on key 33 causing escapement teeth 37 to be alternately cammed into and out of engagement with the teeth of escape gear 31. The parts will, thereby, be caused to undergo regulated angular movement, as in the mechanism of Figs. 1 and 2, dur-' the translation along the shaft.

Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is, therefore, to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:

l. A clock mechanism comprising a fixed supporting shaft, an escapement gear fixed to the shaft, a hollow casing rotatably supported centrally on the shaft and enclosing the gear, an annular oscillatory pallet encircling said escapement gear and pivotally supported by and enclosed by said casing and including escapement teeth adapted to be alternately cammed into and out of engagement with the teeth of said escapement gear to cause oscillation of the pallet upon a torque about the shaft axis being applied to the casing, a helical slot in said shaftwhich receives a key fixed to said casing for applying such a torque due to camming action of said slot on said key when setback forces during acceleration act on said casing and pallet, said casing and pallet functioning cooperatively as an oscillatory pendulous mass to regulate the angular velocity of the parts about the shaft axis during translation along the shaft.

2. A time delay mechanism comprising a shaft, an escapement gear fixed to said shaft, a casing supported centrally on said shaft enclosing an annular pallet and said gear, said pallet encircling said escapement gear and pivotally supported by said casing and including escapement teeth adapted to be alternately brought into and out of engagement with the teeth of said gear to cause oscillations of the pallet upon a torque about the shaft axis being applied to said casing, and means for applying such a torque to said casing, said torque applying means comprising a helical slot in said shaft which receives a key fixed to said casing such that when setback forces during acceleration act on said casing and pallet a torque will be applied due to camming action of said slot on said key, said casing and pallet functioning cooperatively as an oscillatory pendulous mass to regulate the angular velocity of the parts about the axis of said shaft.

3. A device as in claim 2 wherein the escapement teeth on said annular pallet comprise one escapement tooth positioned on each side of the pivot point of said pallet.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

